urc 


■'^****«*Hi^- 


Id,  I. 

LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 

Presented  by 

Hcrter-l"  Adam^  GriiolDon 


s. 


BR  123  .M38  1909 
Marvin,  Dwight  Edwards. 
The  church  and  her  prophets 


Broadway    Publishing    Company 

tal^es  pleasure 

in    presenting    you    a 

Complimentary  Cop^ 

...of... 

"The  Church  and  Her  Prophets" 


Jin  acknowledgment  would  he  appreciated  as  well  as  an 
opinion  of  the  Volume. 


The  Church 

AND 

Her  Prophets 

BY 

T) wight   Edwards '  Marvin 


Broadway  Publishing  Company 
835  Broadway,  New  York 


Copyright,  1909, 

By 

BROADWAY    PUBLISHING    CO. 


To 

My  Son, 

CHARLES  INGALLS  MARVIN 


By  Dwight  Edwards  Marvin 


The  Christman 

A  novel  of  Christian  Ex- 
perience ;  indicating  the 
secret  of  spiritual  strength 
and  usefulness. 

Prof.  Slagg  of  London 

A  Character  Study  of  Mod- 
ern Life. 


Contents. 

THE   CHURCH. 

Page 
The  Church  and  her  Prophets    13 


It  will  be  Regenerative 
It  will  be  Spiritual  .  . 
It  will  be  Fraternal  . 
It  will  be  Convergent  . 
It  will  be  Triumphant    . 

HER   PROPHETS. 


18 

24 
29 

47 


The   Present   Need 59 

Men  Who  Have  a  Message    .     .  6^ 

Men  Who  are  not  Afraid    ...  68 

Men  Who  Have  Heart  Power  .  74 
Men    Who    Know    the    Living 

Christ 81 

Men  Who  are   Swayed  by  One 

Ambition     .*......  89 


THE  CHURCH 


"At  Helgate,  England,  In  the  spacious  grounds 
of  the  ancient  Priory,  there  Is  a  tree  which  is 
known  as  the  'tree  of  decision.'  Under  it  stood 
Lady  Henry  Somerset  in  the  darkest  hour  of  her 
life;  the  very  foundations  seemed  to  be  giving 
■way.  She  was  struggling  with  the  awful  question. 
Is  there  a  God?  when  there  came  to  her  the  mes- 
eage,  'Live  as  though  I  were,  and  you  shall  know 
that  I  am.'  The  decision  was  made,  and  God 
became  real. 

When  the  world  lives  as  if  God  were,  then  the 
world  will  have  a  REAL.  GOD.  HIS  TABER- 
NACLE WILL  BE  WITH  MEN,  AND  HE  WILL 
DWELL  WITH  THEM.  AND  THEY  SHALL  BE 
HIS  PEOPLE,  AND  GOD  HIMSELF  SHALL  BE 
WITH  THEM,  AND  BE  THEIR  GOD."— JOSIAH 
Strong. 

"Under  the  terms  of  three  striking  figures  the 
Master  has  set  forth  the  mission  of  His  Church 
In  the  world.  The  disciples  are  as  light  in  the 
world,  bearing  witness  for  the  truth,  enlightening 
the  conscience  of  men,  making  men  know  what  is 
that  good  and  acceptable  and  perfect  will  of  God. 
They  are  the  salt  of  the  earth,  purifying,  sweeten- 
ing, preserving  the  life  of  mankind  from  decay 
and  death,  and  making  it  meet  for  the  Master's 
use.  They  are  the  leaven  hidden  in  the  meal,  to 
transform  and  change  it,  and  make  it  fit  for  the 
Master's  table.  The  Church  is  not  a  mutual 
benefit  society,  though  it  benefits  in  incalculable 
ways  its  members.  It  is  not  a  social  club,  though 
its  social  life  is  most  marked.  Over  and  above 
all,  it  is  a  society  intent  on  the  one  object  of 
purifying,  sweetening,  transforming,  saving  the 
entire  life  of  the  world.  'The  true  and  grand  idea 
of  the  church,'  said  Thomas  Arnold,  'is  a  society 
for  making  men  like  Christ,  earth  like  Heaven, 
and  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  the  Kingdoms  of 
our  God.'  " — Samuel  Zane   Batten. 

"I  saw  in  the  night-visions,  and,  behold,  there 
came  with  the  clouds  of  heaven  one  like  unto  a 
Son  of  Man,  and  he  came  even  to  the  Ancient  of 
Days,  and  they  brought  Him  near  before  Him. 
And  there  was  given  Him  dominion,  and  glory, 
and  a  kingdom,  and  all  the  peoples,  nations  and 
languages  should  serve  Him.  His  dominion  is  an 
everlasting  dominion,  which  shall  not  pass  away, 
and  His  Kingdom  that  which  shall  not  be  de- 
etroyed." — DANixct.  the  Puoi'iiet. 


The  Church  and  Her 
Prophets 

THE  CHURCH. 

One  of  our  modern  writers  re- 
minds us  that  the  great  movements 
and  events  which  mark  the  centu- 
ries have  very  commonly  come  to  a 
definite  close,  but  that  the  nine- 
teenth century  generally  suggested 
not  finality  or  completeness,  but 
rather  beginnings. 

The  age  is  transitional.  Men 
are  waking  to  a  realization  that 
7 


C6e  C&utcti  anD 


there  are  larger  opportunities  for 
improvement  in  conditions  of  life 
than  have  been  conceived  by  past 
generations;  that  there  is  a  broad- 
er, purer,  and  more  beneficent  life 
possible  here  and  now  than  has 
ever  been  dreamed.  It  is  this 
vision  that  disturbs  society  and  that 
causes  deep  longing  and  ceaseless 
effort  of  thinkers  and  workers 
everywhere. 

We  have  heard  of  some  Arctic 
explorers  whose  vessel  became  fas- 
tened in  snow  and  ice.  Looking 
abroad  they  saw  only  the  cold,  un- 
yielding barriers  that  imprisoned 
them,  yet  they  were  not  disheart- 
ened, for  they  turned  their  faces 

each  morning  toward  the  sky  and 
8 


J^et  Ptop|)et0 


saw  the  deeper  blue  that  always 
hangs  over  unfrozen  water.  To 
them  the  heavens  declared  that  an 
open  sea  lay  not  far  beyond,  and 
it  was  this  thought  that  gave  them 
hope  and  confidence. 

More  positive  to  us  are  the  signs 
of  the  times  in  which  we  live. 
While  the  spirit  of  commercialism 
and  pleasure  seeking  seems  to  pre- 
sent a  barrier  to  the  best  human 
development,  we  can  look  beyond 
it  and  see  in  the  deeper  movements 
of  the  people  a  well-defined  pur- 
pose to  insist  on  higher  standards 
of  living.  These  unmistakable  evi- 
dences of  a  speedy  deliverance 
cheer  our  hearts  and  stimulate  us 
to  renewed  effort,  for  they  indicate 
9 


Cfte  CfiutcS  anQ 


that  the  world  is  rapidly  coming  to 
count  character  of  more  worth 
than  gold,  and  true  manhood  and 
womanhood  more  worthy  of  at- 
tainment than  great  possessions. 

Warnings  are  not  infrequently 
heard  regarding  the  approach  of  a 
social  revolution,  which  we  are 
told  will  be  more  radical  and  far- 
reaching  than  any  that  has  ever 
been  known.  The  rich,  it  is  said, 
are  growing  richer  and  the  poor 
poorer;  animosity  is  taking  the 
place  of  good  will  between  masters 
and  men;  and  slowly  but  surely 
the  masses  are  preparing  to  sweep 
away  all  existing  social  conditions 
and  establish  a  new  order  of 
things. 

10 


^er  propfiew 


This  is  a  gloomy  outlook,  but  it 
is  false  in  that  it  takes  little  or  no 
account  of  the  increasing  altruistic 
spirit  of  the  age,  the  rising  demand 
for  righteousness  in  trade  and 
government,  and  the  growing  in- 
sistence on  the  application  of  the 
golden  rule  by  employers  and  em- 
ployees in  their  relations  to  one  an- 
other. 

So  long  as  knowledge  and  re- 
sources increase  there  must  be  fre- 
quent social  readjustment.  In  the 
future,  as  in  the  past,  changes  will 
take  place.  Some,  it  may  be,  will 
work  to  the  temporary  disadvan- 
tage of  many,  but  in  the  end  they 
will  be  found  to  be  so  beneficent 

that  the  generations  following  will 
II 


Clje  CfturcJ)  anD 


wonder  that  they  were  not  made 
before.  There  will  be  no  such  sud- 
den  convulsive  revolution  as  has 
been  predicted,  for  the  world  is  not 
under  the  control  of  human  pas- 
sions, but  of  divine  providence. 
God  is  working  out  His  purpose 
with  men  through  the  evolution  of 
grace  and  He  will  work  until  the 
end  is  reached. 

The  appointed  instruments  for 
the  guidance  of  the  race  in  its 
moral  development  has  ever  been 
and  ever  will  be  the  Church  and 
her  prophets. 


12 


^et  propfiew 


THE  CHURCH  AND  HER 
PROPHETS. 

'1  will  send,  the  Comforter  unto 
you/'  said  Jesus,  ''and  when  He 
is  come,  He  will  convict  the  world 
in  respect  of  sin,  and  of  righteous- 
ness, and  of  judgment" — I  will 
send  Him  unto  you,  my  disciples, 
that  through  you  He  may  exercise 
His  convicting  power. 

The  Church  has  always  been 
slow  to  adjust  herself  to  the  move- 
ments of  God,  and  when  such 
movements  have  been  radical  and 
rapid,  she  has  seemed  in  her  con- 
servatism to  be  resisting  the  course 
13 


Cfte  Cfiutrf)  anD' 


of  progress  and  improvement.  It 
is  not,  therefore,  strange  that -true 
men  should  often  be  found  con- 
demning Christian  organizations 
for  their  apathy  and  charging  them 
with  disloyalty  to  the  Gospel;  but 
it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  the 
Church  is  tmder  the  power  of  pref- 
erences and  methods  created 
through  its  historic  development, 
that  religious  customs  have  an  en- 
during hold  on  the  life,  that  in- 
heritance and  training  bias  the 
heart  as  well  as  the  mind,  and  that 
the  consciences  of  most  men  can- 
not be  quickly  changed.  Convic- 
tions with  the  strongest  characters 
are  of  slow  growth. 

While  there  is  much  unfaithful- 
14 


ti^et  propfjew 


ness  and  weakness  in  the  Christian 
Church,  she  stands  to-day  at  the 
front  of  all  great  moral  reforms 
and  holds  her  place  as  the  recog- 
nized medium  of  spiritual  power. 

After  having  visited  America  to 
study  the  genius  of  our  institu- 
tions, DeTocqueville  reported  to 
the  French  senate:  "I  went  at 
their  bidding,  and  passed  along 
their  thoroughfares  of  trade;  I 
ascended  their  mountains,  and 
went  down  their  valleys;  I  visited 
their  manufactories,  their  com- 
mercial markets  and  emporiums  of 
trade;  I  entered  their  judicial 
courts  and  legislative  halls;  but  I 
sought  everywhere  in  vain  until  I 
entered  the  church.  It  was  there, 
15 


C6e  Cftutcl)  and 


as  I  listened  to  the  soul-equalizing 

and  soul-elevating  principles  of  the 

Gospel  of  Christ,  as  they  fell  from 

Sabbath    to    Sabbath,    upon    the 

masses  of  the  people,  that  I  learned 

why  America  was  great  and  free." 

Under  the  pressure  of  modern 

conditions,  the  Church  is  coming 

to  have  a  clearer  conception  of  her 

duties   and  her  privileges,   and  is 

slowly  but  surely  adjusting  herself 

to  meet  the  needs  of  men.     ]\Iuch 

of  the  beneficent  work  that  she  is 

doing  would  have  been  considered 

a  few  years  ago  as  out  of  harmony 

with     her     mission.       Time     and 

changing    circumstances    increase 

her  power  and  render  her  services 

more  comprehensive,  thus  her  in- 
i6 


^tt  propftetg 


fluence  grows  and  will  continue  to 
grow  until  she  touches  all  depart- 
ments of  life  with  her  helpful  min- 
istries. 

Judging  from  the  present  drift 
of  religious  thought  and  Christian 
purpose,  the  work  of  the  Church 
will  be  increasingly  regenerative, 
spiritual,  fraternal,  progressive, 
convergent,  and  triumphant. 


17 


Cfte  Cftutc!)  anO 


IT  WILL  BE  REGENERA- 
TIVE. 

It  is  a  common  delusion  to  be- 
lieve that  Christianity  is  nothing 
more  than  creed  holding,  the  ob- 
servance of  churchly  forms,  moral- 
ity of  life  or  the  possession  of 
lofty  ideals;  whereas  it  is  the  domi- 
nation of  a  personality;  it  is  Christ 
possessing  man.  "1  am  the  vine," 
said  the  Master,  ''Ye  are  the 
branches." 

While  right  thinking  must  ever 
lie  back  of  right  living,  there  is 
truth  in  John  Wesley's  remark 
that,  a  man  may  be  as  orthodox  as 


i8 


f^tt  ptop!)et0 


!the  devil,  and  as  wicked.  "The 
devils  believe  and  shudder." 
Knowing  this,  the  Apostle  prayed 
that  Christ  might  dwell  through 
faith  in  the  hearts  of  the  Ephe- 
sians,  to  the  end  that  they  might  be 
rooted  and  grounded  in  love  and 
be  able  to  apprehend  their  Lord, 
and  be  filled  with  the  fullness  of 
God. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  imagine  that 
because  idleness  and  ignorance 
bring  forth  wretchedness  and 
crime,  that,  therefore,  legal  re- 
straint coupled  with  opportunity 
and  education  are  sufficient  to  se- 
cure social  purity  and  uprightness 
of  life.  Where  a  sense  of  sin  and 
the  need  of  deliverance  therefrom 
19 


Cfte  Cftutcb  ana 


is  absent,  there  is  no  hope  of  per- 
manent reform. 

While  the  Church  of  God  is 
called  upon  to  second  every  wise 
and  honest  effort  that  is  made  for 
the  amelioration  of  the  woes  of 
mankind  and  the  improvement  of 
society,  her  primal  duty  is  to  seek 
deliverance  from  sin  and  trans- 
formation of  character  through 
renegeration  and  spiritual  develop- 
ment. 

Mr.  Gladstone  tells  a  tale  of 
Lord  Melbourne  once  coming  out 
of  a  country  church  in  a  great 
fume.  Finding  a  friend,  he  began 
to  pour  out  his  wrath  and  give 
vent  to  his  grievance  as  follows: 
*lt's  too  bad!    I  have  always  been 

20 


f^tt  propftew 


a  supporter  of  the  church,  and 
have  always  upheld  the  clergy ;  but 
it  is  really  too  bad  to  have  to  listen 
to  a  sermon  like  that  we  have  had 
this  morning.  Why,  the  preacher 
actually  insisted  upon  applying  re- 
ligion to  a  man's  private  life." 

It  is  often  said  that  the  day  of 
personal  conversion  has  passed, 
that  the  old-fashioned  call  to  re- 
pentance and  faith  is  no  longer 
needed.  Why  not?  Has  the 
method  of  God  changed?  Has  sin 
ceased  to  be  destructive?  Has  the 
private  life  of  men  become  so  pure 
and  holy  that  reformation  is  un- 
necessary? Has  the  world  reached 
so  high  a  degree  of  cultivation  that 

21 


Cf)e  Cfiutcl)  aiiD 


it  needs  no  help  from  One  mighty 
to  save? 

When  the  Church  ceases  to  work 
for  the  regeneration  of  men,  her 
usefulness  in  the  world  will  come 
to  an  end.  There  is,  however,  no 
danger  of  her  thus  becoming  un- 
mindful of  her  call,  for  not  only 
will  she  continue  to  seek  the  spirit- 
ual transformation  of  individuals 
by  her  silent  ministries,  but  will 
also  lead  in  great  revival  move- 
ments that  will  sweep  whole  com- 
munities with  awakening,  purify- 
ing, and  uplifting  power. 

"It  is  quite  possible,"  we  have 
been  told,  ''for  society  to  be  at  the 
same  time  well  housed,  well  fed, 
well   clothed,    well    educated,    and 

22 


J^et  propfietg 


well  rotted."  Material  comforts 
do  not  alter  the  character ;  and  un- 
less sin  is  overcome,  misery  and 
death  will  follow. 

Changing  social  conditions  may- 
cut  new  channels  for  service  and 
open  larger  opportunities  for  God 
to  carry  on  His  transforming  work, 
but  they  will  not  do  away  with  the 
necessity  for  regeneration. 


23 


Cfte  Cfiutcft  atiD 


IT  WILL  BE  SPIRITUAL. 

Ecclesiasticism  may  to  a  large 
extent  retain  its  hold  on  the  hearts 
of  men  and  denominationalism  con- 
tinue to  divide  communities,  yet 
Christians  must  come  to  see  more 
and  more  through  the  forms  of 
things,  as  Carlyle  put  it,  and  dis- 
cover the  things  themselves. 

Multitudes  of  men,  in  their 
deepest  need,  turn  away  from  re- 
ligious formulas  and  reach  out  for 
a  conscious  oneness  with  their 
Maker,  feeling  confident  that  God 
and  God  alone  can  satisfy  them. 
24 


5)er  Ptopftew 


This  hungering  for  that  which  is 
real  must  be  met  by  the  Church  in 
her  ministry.  She  must  reaHze 
that  rehgion  does  not  consist  in 
the  possession  of  theological  opin- 
ions, but  in  the  possession  of  divin- 
ity. 

Gradually,  but  surely,  Christians 
are  awakening  to  this  fact,  and  are 
separating  in  their  work  that 
which  is  essential  from  that  which 
is  expedient,  and  are  declaring 
with  emphasis  that  the  mystery  of 
God,  hidden  for  ages,  is  nothing 
more  than  ''Christ  in  you  the  hope 
of  glory.'' 

Jesus  never  intended  that  men 
should  merely  intellectually  assent 
to  His  sayings,  and  then,  that  they 
25 


Cfte  Cfturcft  anD 


might  the  better  use  His  words  for 
ecclesiastical  organization  and  con- 
troversy, give  them  an  orderly  pen 
and  ink  arrangement  and  expres- 
sion; but  rather  that  they  should 
find  through  them  the  Father. 

It  is  very  difficult  for  those  who 
have  never  realized  the  possession 
of  Christ  to  understand  the  peace 
and  powder  that  He  brings;  hence 
all  the  objections  of  unbelievers  are 
directed  not  against  Christianity 
itself,  but  some  imperfect  expres- 
sion of  it.  It  is  comparatively 
easy  to  construct  a  plausible  argu- 
ment against  the  opinions  and  pur- 
poses of  men,  no  matter  how 
saintly  they  may  be,  or  against  re- 
ligious organizations,  creeds,  or 
26 


I^er  Prop!)et0 


even  the  letter  of  the  Scripture 
itself;  but  Christianity  is  not  hu- 
man opinion  or  intention;  it  is  not 
profession  or  institution;  it  is  not 
a  declaration  or  a  book,  even 
though  that  book  be  inspired  of 
God.  Christianity  is,  as  has  been 
said,  Christ,  and  nothing  but 
Christ,  His  living  presence  in  the 
world  possessed  of  men  and  posses- 
sing men,  and  moving  through 
them  in  beneficence  and  power. 

Hugh  Price  Hughes  says,  "No 
Chinaman  imagines  for  a  moment 
that  there  is  any  vital  union  be- 
tween himself  and  Confucius;  no 
Buddhist  dreams  of  such  organic 
fellowship  with  Buddha;  no  Mo- 
hammedan would  say,  'I  live,  yet 


Cfte  Cftutcb  ana 


not  I,  but  Mohammed  liveth  in  me/ 
But  St.  Paul  does  say,  '1  live,  yet 
not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me,'  and 
he  meant  it  to  be  taken  literally,  as 
a  psychological  fact,  not  as  a  mere 
metaphor  or  figure  of  speech.'' 

In  coming  years,  there  will  be 
less  and  less  inclination  to  wrangle 
over  methods  and  definitions.  The 
great  effort  of  the  Church  will  be 
to  meet  man's  spiritual  needs  by  a 
real  spiritual  help,  by  interpreting 
Christ  to  him  so  that  receiving 
Christ,  his  life  will  be  ''trans- 
formed by  the  renewing  of  his 
mind  that  he  may  prove"  to  him- 
self and  to  others  in  his  life  work 
''what  is  the  good  and  acceptable 

and  perfect  will  of  God." 

28 


^er  Ipropftew 


IT  WILL  BE  FRATERNAL. 

After  the  day  of  Pentecost,  the 
disciples  of  Jerusalem  had  all 
things  in  common,  and  in  the  ex- 
uberance of  their  faith  and  affec- 
tion distributed  their  property. 
The  impulse  of  love  and  not  the 
edict  of  an  Apostle  drove  them  to 
liberality,  for  consideration,  ten- 
derness, and  sacrificial  helpfulness 
are  the  natural  expressions  of 
heart  attachment. 

As  the  Church  grows  in  knowl- 
edge and  enters  more  perfectly 
into  the  spirit  of  the  Master,  she 
29 


CJje  Cljurcl)  anO 


will  more  constantly  aim  to  form 
her  members  into  a  great  fraternal 
organization  under  the  leadership 
of  the  living  Christ,  to  carry  com- 
fort and  hope  and  material  aid  to 
all  who  are  in  need. 

There  are  conditions  of  life  that 
render  personal  regeneration  well 
nigh  impossible.  There  is  not  a 
great  city  in  the  world  where  there 
are  not  multitudes  who  have  no 
hope  because  of  their  inheritance 
and  environments;  and  it  is  a 
growing  conviction  on  the  part  of 
Christians  everywhere  that  the 
work  of  the  Church  is  not  only  to 
cry  with  John  the  Baptist,  ''Behold 
the  Lamb  of  God!"  but,  like  him. 


J^er  Prop|)et0 


to  prepare  the  way  by  which  He 
may  be  seen. 

Dr.  F.  W.  Farrar,  writing  of 
Gen.  Booth,  said,  ''His  mission  was 
to  the  neglected,  to  the  wretched, 
to  the  destitute,  to  the  submerged 
tenth.  He  went  to  the  sheep  with- 
out a  shepherd,  who  were  wander- 
ing untended  on  the  hills  of  dark- 
ness; to  wretches  without  a  home 
and  without  a  hope ;  to  street  Arabs 
and  gutter  children,  the  waifs  and 
strays  of  our  horrible  slums;  to 
men  and  women  ruined  by  drink 
and  crime,  living  in  dens  foul  as 
the  lairs  of  wild  beasts,  for  whom 
there  seemed  to  be  no  earthly 
prospect  but  the  cell  of  the  felon, 
the  grave  of  the  suicide,  or  the 
31 


Cfie  CftutcJ)  anO 


dreary  misery  of  the  workhouse." 
No  less  is  it  the  duty  of  others  to 
go  forth,  sent  by  the  Church  as 
missionaries  of  Christ  to  disciple 
not  only  all  nations  of  men,  but  all 
men,  the  debauched  and  groveling 
in  enlightened  communities  and 
the  idolatrous  and  cruel  in  lands 
shadowed  by  heathen  superstition. 
In  tracing  the  development  of 
the  Christian  Church,  we  find  that, 
after  humility  in  service,  hope  of 
a  speedy  return  of  Christ,  and  pa- 
tient endurance  of  persecution, 
there  came  a  period  of  yielding  to 
the  blandishments  of  worldly  au- 
thority, a  gradual  increase  of  tem- 
poral power  and  final  lapsing  into 
ceremonialism  and  worldliness.  In 
32 


©er  Propftew 


time,  men  realized  that  costly 
cathedrals  did  not  insure  the  mani- 
fest presence  of  Jesus  Christ,  that 
dim  lights  and  solemn  services  did 
not  do  away  with  sin,  and  there 
came  to  the  hearts  of  the  people 
a  great  longing  for  a  real  God. 
Then  the  Reformation  was  born 
with  all  its  attendant  exhibition  of 
consecration,  energy,  courage,  and 
heroism.  Revolutionary  doctrines 
were  publicly  taught  and  received. 
Some  of  the  creed  tenets  of  the 
time  were  beneficent  and  uplift- 
ing, others  were  hard  and  narrow. 
It  could  not  have  been  otherwise. 
Great  religious  upheavals  afford 
opportunity  to  both  the  tolerant 
and  the  intolerant. 
33 


C6e  Cfiurcf)  anD 


One  age  is  the  forerunner  of  an- 
other. To-day  we  are  entering  an- 
other Reformation  more  wonderful 
and  far-reaching  than  any  that  has 
preceded.  God  is  leading  His 
Church  into  a  larger  conception  of 
the  divine  commission.  We  must 
expect  that  there  will  be  men  of 
narrow  vision,  who  will  strive  to 
contract  Christian  work  and  keep 
it  within  the  range  of  past  limita- 
tions. They  are  good,  true,  and 
earnest  men,  and  it  is  because  they 
are  conscientious  that  they  are  de- 
termined; but  their  standards  are 
standards  of  yesterday  and  not  of 
to-day.  The  fence  line  of  tradi- 
tions presents  an  impassable  bar- 
rier, so  that  they  cannot  go  beyond 
34 


^et  ptopfjew 


and  keep  step  with  the  movements 
of  God  in  the  history  that  is  in 
making ;  but  the  advancing  Church 
will  not  be  hindered  in  its  work  un- 
til the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  fully 
realized.  A  universal  brotherhood 
united  in  the  spirit  and  under  the 
leadership  of  Jesus  Christ  "who 
would  have  all  men  to  be  saved/'  is 
the  aim  of  Christian  effort  every- 
where, but  salvation  is  a  word  that 
is  made  no  longer  to  apply  exclu- 
sively to  deliverance  from  future 
doom.  It  now  is  understood  to  in- 
clude present  emancipation  from 
conditions  adverse  to  the  reign  of 
God,  rescue  from  ignorance  and 

blindness  of  heart,  and  redemption 
35 


Cfte  Cftutcj)  anD 


from  sin  with  its  consequent  mis- 
ery and  death. 

In  harmony  with  this  larger  con- 
ception of  salvation,  Institutional 
Churches  are  being  organized  in 
thickly  settled  districts  of  great 
cities;  boys'  and  girls'  clubs,  with 
gymnasiums,  reading  rooms,  baths 
and  trade  instructions,  are  making 
their  appearance.  Young  Men's 
and  Young  Women's  Christian  As- 
sociations have  been  transformed 
in  their  methods,  new  and  beautiful 
buildings  have  been  erected  with 
educational,  employment,  recrea- 
tion, and  devotional  rooms  and 
halls;  and  Social  Settlements  with 

home    surroundings    and    helpful 
36 


JJ)er  propfiet0 


teachings  have  been  estabhshed  in 
tenement  districts.  i 

I  Everywhere  Christians  are  dis- 
covering that  the  true  "reHgion  of 
humanity"  is  the  reHgion  Christ 
made  practical,  and  that  brother- 
hood can  be  effected  and  sustained 
by  the  removal  of  the  barriers  to 
holiness,  so  that  the  uplifted  Mas- 
ter of  Men  can  draw  all  men  unto 
Himself  and  closer  to  one  another. 


37 


Cfee  C&utfl)  anB 


IT  WILL  BE  CONVERGENT. 

^  Men  have  arisen  in  the  past  who 
have  seemed  to  be  possessed  of  al- 
most superhuman  intelHgence, 
magnetism,  and  power.  They 
wrought  wonders  in  their  day. 
Their  purposes  were  often  so  ex- 
ahed  that  they  led  large  numbers 
of  their  fellow  men  to  greater  no- 
bility of  life.  As  meteors  they 
flashed  forth  and  then  disappeared. 
Though  lauded  by  the  people  of 
their  own  generation,  most  of  them 
have  been  forgotten,  and  not  even 
their  names  appear  in  the  pages  of 
history. 

.38 


^er  Ptopliettf 


Among  the  multitude  of  leaders, 
Jesus  Christ  alone  stands  supreme. 
His  life,  once  written  in  the  Gos- 
pels, has  been  written  again  and 
again  in  the  lives  of  His  disciples 
and  has  become  wonderful  in  the 
councils  of  nations.  Victor  Hugo 
said,  ''A  cannon  ball  makes  only 
two  thousand  miles  an  hour.  Light 
makes  two  hundred  thousand  miles 
a  second.  Such  is  the  superiority 
of  Jesus  Christ  over  Napoleon." 

Newman  Smyth,  in  one  of  his 
uplifting  books,  tells  us  that,  "In 
the  northern  part  of  Maine  there  is 
a  mountain  which  springs  from  the 
midst  of  the  forest,  unapproached 
by  lesser  heights,  lifting  its  soli- 
tary peak  into  the  clouds.  ^.  Float- 
39 


Cfte  Cl)utct)  ana 


ing  down  the  stream  which  flows 
by  it,  between  the  overhanging 
banks,  suddenly,  at  some  turn  of 
the  river's  course,  I  have  seen 
Mount  Katahdin  standing  out 
from  the  interminable  forest,  its 
grand  lines  sharply  defined,  its  sin- 
gle peak  rising  alone  into  the  sky. 
Often  that  mountain  vision  seems 
repeated,  as  I  am  brought  before 
the  character  of  Christ.  Above 
the  interminable  level  of  common 
human  nature,  across  the  interven- 
ing distances  of  history,  an  image 
of  solitary  majesty  stands  out  be- 
fore the  mind;  and  the  view  of  that 
sublime  character,  rising  from  the 
midst  of  our  low,  monotonous  hu- 
man attainments,  clearly  outlined 
40 


J&er  ptopftew 


against  the  soul's  horizon,  in  its 
wonderful  elevation,  is  an  inspira- 
tion and  a  joy  awakening  the 
whole  moral  enthusiasm  of  our 
being/' 

Christ  moves  among  men,  sepa- 
rate from  them  in  character,  yet 
one  with  them  in  sympathy  and  as- 
sistance. The  purest  of  the  pure, 
the  strongest  of  the  strong,  the 
wisest  of  the  wise,  the  greatest  of 
the  great,  "the  holiest  among  the 
mighty  and  the  mightiest  among 
the  holy,"  He  has  become  and  must 
ever  remain  the  regenerator  of  the 
race.  Thousands  of  men,  whose 
intelligence  was  limited,  and  whose 
circumstances  were  restricted,  have 
become  great  in  His  greatness. 
41 


Cfte  C!)urc6  anD 


He,  who  once  ''lifted  with  His 
pierced  hand  empires  off  their 
hinges  and  turned  the  stream  of 
centuries  out  of  its  course  and  still 
governs  the  ages,"  took  possession 
of  their  lives,  guided  their  wills, 
imbued  their  souls  with  higher  and 
nobler  ambitions,  and  bore  them  on 
to  places  of  larger  usefulness  and 
commanding  influence. 

Gradually,  reformers  are  coming 
to  a  deep  conviction  that  there  is 
no  force  that  can  efficiently  regen- 
erate human  nature  and  make  men 
morally  great,  save  that  which  is 
manifest  by  the  presence  of  Christ 
in  the  life;  and  that  He,  and  He 
alone,  is  the  divinely  appointed 
leader  in  social,  commercial,  and 
42 


^er  ptop&ew 


political  improvement.  Already 
His  name  has  been  given  to  hun- 
dreds of  charitable  and  philan- 
thropic institutions,  and  His  spirit 
is  possessing  the  souls  of  multi- 
tudes v^ho  work  within  the  church 
fold  and  without  for  the  ameliora- 
tion of  the  woes  of  men. 

In  this  age  of  restless  activity 
and  covetous  grasping  for  material 
benefits,  men  are  coming,  as  never 
before,  to  possess  a  profound  and 
all-impelling  belief  in  Jesus  as  the 
world's  great  necessity;  and  they 
turn  to  the  Church  in  His  name 
pleading  for  help  in  alleviating  the 
sufferings  of  mankind.  With  a 
continual  broadening  view  of  man's 
need,  and  a  narrowing  view  of  the 
43 


Cfte  Cfturcft  anO 


remedy  for  sin  and  misery,  Chris- 
tians are  turning  to  the  Master  of 
men  with  a  stronger  faith  and 
larger  hope.  Ignoring  the  differ- 
ences that  have  separated  them, 
they  are  drawing  about  Christ  and 
in  His  presence  learning  the  lesson 
of  divine  compassion.  Near  the 
heart  of  the  world's  Deliverer,  the 
things  that  once  parted  them  seem 
small  and  trivial,  and  they  realize 
their  oneness  in  faith  and  purpose. 
In  the  companionship  of  Him,  who 
once  touched  the  leper  and  forgave 
the  outcast  woman,  their  eyes  are 
opened  to  discover  that  there  is 
hope,  not  only  for  the  superstitious 
inhabitants  in  distant  lands,  and 
the  degraded  people  of  savage  com- 
44 


^et  propftew 


munities ;  but  that  all  men  need  the 
touch  of  love  and  can  be  saved,  for 
they  are  sacred,  being  made  in  the 
image  of  their  God.  Men  who 
dwell  in  dark  and  dirty  tenements, 
whose  lives  are  defiled  by  foul  and 
polluted  surroundings;  who  toil  in 
noxious  and  tainted  air ;  who  have 
become  slaves  to  greed  and  cruel 
pride;  or  who  have  warped  their 
lives  and  crushed  out  their  better 
instincts  by  the  struggle  for  bread 
— these  are  the  men  who  appear  in 
a  new  light  to  the  Church  as  she  in 
all  her  branches  nears  the  presence 
of  the  Healer  of  Nazareth.  In  the 
stress  and  necessity  of  the  age  she 
is  drawing  closer  to  her  Lord  and 
is  there  being  transformed  to  see 
45 


Cfte  Cfiurcj)  anD 


the  world  as  He  saw  it,  a  suffering 
but  sacred  world  to  be  regenerated 
by  divine  grace. 


46 


I^et  ptopftew 


IT  WILL  BE  TRIUMPHANT. 

When  we  see  the  forces  of  evil 
united  to  overthrow  that  which  is 
good,  inducements  to  wrongdoing 
flaunted  before  the  passing  multi- 
tudes, the  things  once  held  sacred 
counted  as  but  trivialities,  we  are 
prone  to  be  false  in  our  judgments 
and  cry  in  bitterness  of  soul,  "How 
long,  O  Lord?  How  long?"  We 
forget  that  God  lives  and  that  the 
stars  fade  only  because  a  new 
dawning  is  at  hand.  ' 

"In  the  streets,  the  markets,  and 
the  palaces  of  Rome,"  we  are  told, 
47 


Cfte  Cfturcj)  and 


*'there  was  a  gay  crowd — philoso- 
phers, nobles,  and  people — confi- 
dent in  their  strength,  proud  of 
themselves  as  rulers  of  the  world. 
In  the  catacombs  beneath  there 
were  gathered  a  few  penitents — 
men  and  womicn  conscious  of  sin, 
crying  out  their  weakness,  and 
claiming  to  be  nothing.  Out  of  the 
catacombs,  and  not  from  the  phil- 
osophies or  power  of  Rome,  has 
come  the  force  of  modern  prog- 
ress." 

Beneath  all  the  glittering  and 
strenuous  activity  of  the  century, 
all  the  vulgar  display  of  the  pam- 
pered rich,  and  all  the  boasted  po- 
tency of  material  things,  there  are 

other  and  greater  forces  at  work. 
48 


^et  Ptopftetg 

Multitudes  of  earnest  Christians 
are  crying  out  to  God  in  penitence 
and  faith,  and  in  response  to  their 
pleading,  the  Spirit  of  the  Al- 
mighty is  moving  in  the  Church. 
Out  of  the  religious  Hfe  of  the  peo- 
ple and  not  from  the  philosophies 
and  power  of  civilization  will  come 
the  forces  of  real  progress. 

God  has  always  worked  in  the 
world  toward  a  definite  end.  Some- 
times His  purposes  have  been  al- 
most imperceptible,  but  they  have 
been  no  less  certain.  Though  the 
footfall  of  Providence  may  not 
always  be  heard,  there  is  no  lag- 
ging or  halting. 

With  a  clearer  discernment  than 
many,  Benjamin  Kidd  declares 
49 


Clje  Cfturcft  anD 


that  "The  evolution  which  is  slowly 
proceeding  in  human  society  is  not 
primarily  intellectual  but  religious 
in  character/'  Gradually  the 
powers  of  sin  are  weakening  and 
the  powers  of  holiness  are 
strengthening.  God  is  coming  to 
His  own  in  the  world. 

When,  therefore,  we  hear  it  said 
that  there  is  no  king  but  the  ma- 
jority, and  that  the  majority  is  al- 
ways evil,  we  seek  a  wider  vision 
and  learn  from  history,  prophecy, 
and  observation  that  ''God  and  one 
are  a  majority,''  and  that  "Christ 
must  reign  till  He  hath  put  all  ene- 
mies under  His  feet." 

Sometimes  we  hear  men  specu- 
lating about  the  millennium.  Will 
50 


I^tt  ptopfiew 


it  last  a  thousand  years?  Will  it 
come  before  or  after  the  second 
advent?  Will  the  Son  of  Man 
make  His  appearance  in  a  physical 
or  spiritual  form?  The  lawless- 
ness of  the  age  and  the  pronounced 
character  of  evil  have  driven  them 
to  long  for  some  speedy  manifes- 
tation of  divine  power.  What  mat- 
ters the  time  and  manner  of  the 
Lord's  second  coming,  so  long  as 
the  event  is  sure  and  the  Church 
is  ready  tt>  hail  Him  as  her  King  ? 
Better,  far  better,  enter  into  the 
consciousness  of  His  present  near- 
ness. The  true  millennium,  what- 
ever may  be  its  disclosures  and 
whenever  it  may  begin,  will  be  no 
more  than  the  consummation  of  a 
51 


Cfte  Cftutc!)  anO 


divine  purpose  that  is  now  being 
carried  out  in  the  world,  and  in 
which  every  man  may  have  a  part. 
The  King  and  the  Kingdom  are 
one,  and  we  are  subjects  and  citi- 
zens. 

The  Church  of  Christ  exists  not 
for  the  purpose  of  coddHng  a  few 
saints,  but  rather  for  the  purpose 
of  helping  many  sinners.  She  has 
no  vice-regal  authority,  no  special 
rights  that  permit  the  assumption 
of  power.  To  her  has  been  given 
an  opportunity  and  a  commission, 
not  that  she  should  be  served,  but 
that  she  should  serve.  Disloyalty 
to  her  trust  may  deprive  her  of  the 

glory  of  her  high  calling,  but  it 

52 


^tt  Propi)et0 


will  not  prevent  the  consummation 
of  the  divine  purpose. 

While  there  may  be  much  leth- 
argy among  the  Master's  disciples, 
and  in  many  sections  of  the  Chris- 
tian world  an  apparent  loss  of  vital 
interest  in  the  things  of  God,  the 
Church  is  struggling  nobly  to  ad- 
just herself  to  changing  conditions 
and  to  faithfully  perform  the  will 
of  Heaven.  The  experimental  trial 
of  new  memods,  wise  and  unwise, 
the  eager  acceptance  of  peculiar  re- 
soonsibilities,  the  alliance  with  or- 
ganizations that  are  committed  to 
work  exclusively  for  the  physical 
betterment  of  men,  the  persistent 
missionary  spirit  that  drives  her 
members  into  almost  every  place 
53 


C6e  Cfturcf)  anO 


where  evangelization  seems  neces- 
sary, and  a  growing  assertiveness 
in  work  for  the  purification  of  po- 
Htical,  commercial,  and  social  con- 
ditions, all  point  to  an  earnest  de- 
sire to  prove  her  loyalty. 

There  are  not  wanting  thinkers 
and  workers  who  warn  us  of  a 
coming  collapse  of  the  Church  be- 
cause the  love  of  many  seems  to  be 
growing  cold.  They  point  to  the 
religious  life  of  the  past  and  con- 
trast it  with  that  of  the  present. 
Clouds  there  are  that  shut  out  the 
sun's  shining,  but  the  day  contin- 
ues to  advance.  While  they  are 
yet  speaking,  a  silver  lining  illu- 
mines the  overhanging  veil.  A 
new  type  of  civilization  is  coming 
54 


f^tt  ptopftew 


into  existence  and  a  transformed 
Church  endowed  with  the  Spirit 
of  God  is  rising  to  meet  the  need. 


55 


HER  PROPHETS. 


Cfie  Cfturcl)  anD 


"Oh,  do  not  pray  for  easy  lives !  Pray  to  b© 
stronger  men.  Do  not  pray  for  tasks  equal  to 
your  powers.  Pray  for  powers  equal  to  your 
tasks.  Then  the  doing  of  your  work  shall  be  no 
miracle.  But  you  shall  be  a  miracle.  Every 
day  you  shall  wonder  at  yourself,  at  the  richness 
of  life  which  was  to  come  to  you  by  the  grace  of 
God." — PiiiLUPS  Brooks. 

"You  ask  me  what  are  the  opportunities  of  the 
Christian  ministry.  They  are  what  the  mau,  the 
minister,  makes  them,  as  big  as  the  biggest,  and 
as  small  as  the  smallest.  The  one  great  longing 
of  the  world,  of  all  the  world,  is  for  the  Gospel 
to  be  preached  as  Jesus  preached  It ;  and  wherever 
It  is  so  preached,  the  congregation  is  limited  only 
by  the  walls  of  the  church.  »A11  other  things  are 
forgotten.  The  heart  of  man  is  not  bad ;  it  is 
good,  for  God  Is  In  it,  despite  all  that  tries  to 
crowd  Him  out.  And  it  isn't  eloquence  that  ap- 
peals to  It,  but  the  touch  that  tells  the  hearer  that 
the  preacher  has  seen  the  things  to  which  he 
bears  witness,  that  he  knows  God  and  His  love. 
I  once  wanted  to  be  a  preacher,  but  gave  it  up 
because  I  was  not  worthy.  But  were  I  now  to 
wish  for  another  life  here,  it  would  be  that  I 
might  be  fitted  to  go  out,  staff  in  hand,  from 
hamlet  to  town,  telling  the  children  of  men  the 
old,  old  story  as  the  o??iy  thing  that  has  balm  for 
the   world's   woes." — Jacob   A.    Rns. 

"Teachers  have  been  too  often  stewards  who 
bring  out  only  the  old  things  from  the  treasury, 
words  spoken  thousands  of  years  ago,  and  acts 
fitted  to  another  age.  .  .  .  They  teach,  but 
the  people,  tried  and  troubled  by  thoughts  of  duty 
to  the  rich  or  duty  to  the  poor,  find  no  help  In 
their  teaching.  ...  If  the  Church  could  send 
teachers  who.  in  the  study  of  modern  movements 
and  modern  thoughts,  had  found  a  present  Christ, 
If  in  the  name  of  that  Christ  they  could  tell  what 
Christ  requires  men  to  do.  their  words  would  con- 
vince of  sin,  of  righteousness  and  judgment.  Christ 
would  once  more  prove  conqueror,  and  men  would 
give  up  their  'rights'  as  they  gave  up  their 
slaves," — Samuel  A.   Bajrnett. 


S8 


^et  prop!)et0 


HER  PROPHETS. 
THE  PRESENT  NEED. 

In  view  of  changing  conditions, 
who,  in  the  future,  are  to  be  the 
moulders  of  reHgious  thought  and 
activity?  It  is  not  hard  to  tell. 
Already  the  men  who  are  coming 
to  the  front  indicate  who  are  to  be 
selected  as  the  chosen  instruments 
of  the  Spirit  in  leading  the  Church 
into  a  larger  service. 

We  are  told  that  the  ministry  as 
a  chosen  profession  is  unsought  by 
college  men;  that  business  oppor- 
tunities are  more  alluring  to  the 
average  youth,  with  ambition  and 
59 


Cfie  Cfturcl)  atiD 


purpose,  than  preaching  the  Gos- 
pel to  self-satisfied  and  apathetic 
listeners,  while  he  is  struggling  to 
eke  out  a  living  on  a  meagre  sal- 
ary. And  so  the  ranks  of  the  min- 
istry go  unfilled  and  hundreds  of 
communities  are  left  without  re- 
ligious instruction  or  care. 

If  we  look  deeply  enough  we  will 
find  that  the  dearth  in  the  ministry 
is  due  not  so  much  to  a  lower  grade 
of  piety  among  college  men,  as  to 
changing  social  conditions  and  the 
unsettled  state  of  the  Church  as 
she  tries  to  adjust  herself  to  new 
obligations  and  embrace  new  op- 
portunities of  service.  Church 
members  are  beginning  to  feel  that 

they  do  not  need  mere   religious 

60 


i^er  Ptopftew 


declaimers,  or  restless  organizers, 
no  matter  how  sincere  may  be  their 
motives  or  earnest  their  efforts; 
that,  as  men  destined  for  immortal 
life  with  Divine  obligations,  they 
need  leaders  who  will  bring  them 
into  a  more  intimate  acquaintance 
with  God  and  help  them  to  be  like 
Him  in  character  and  service. 
Leadership  has  always  been  in  de- 
mand. It  is  the  same  to-day  as 
of  old;  but  there  is  a  greater  and 
more  general  intelligence  among 
the  people.  New  influences  are  at 
work  and  new  requirements  force 
themselves  on  the  attention.  Ne- 
cessity creates  a  demand  for  leader- 
ship of  a  different  quality  than  of 

old.     The   ministry   is   no   longer 
6i 


Cfte  Cljutcft  anD 


merely  one  of  the  learned  profes- 
sions; it  is  a  Divine  ambassador- 
ship, and  credentials  are  asked  for, 
that  neither  the  schools  nor  natural 
taste  can  give.  The  Church  to 
carry  on  its  work,  therefore,  de- 
mands men  who  have  a  message. 


iSz 


f^tt  Ptop|)et0 


MEN  WHO  HAVE  A  MES- 
SAGE. 

It  is  not  a  difficult  task  for  a 
young  man  to  prepare  for  the  vo- 
cation of  preaching  as  a  means 
by  which  to  obtain  an  income,  and 
at  the  same  time  have  the  satis- 
faction of  feeHng  that  he  is  doing 
good  in  the  world.  He  may,  if  he 
has  the  ability,  and  is  diligent 
in  his  work,  rise  to  considerable 
eminence  in  his  profession  and  ex- 
ert a  wide  influence,  but  that  is 
quite  another  thing  from  the  con- 
scious possession  of  a  Divine  com- 
mission and  an  ability  to  declare 
63 


Cfte  Cfiurcft  anB 


in  all  sincerity  as  did  the  Apostle 
to  the  Gentiles,  "We  are  ambassa- 
dors, therefore,  on  behalf  of 
Christ,  as  though  God  were  en- 
treating by  us ;  we  beseech  you  on 
behalf  of  Christ,  be  ye  reconciled 
to  God." 

Prepared  speeches  on  any  great 
moral  theme  generally  secure  re- 
spectful consideration,  but  it  is  the 
message  from  the  Court  of  Heaven 
that  carries  authority  and  power. 
The  demand  for  Prophets  is  not  the 
expression  of  a  passing  fancy,  but 
the  cry  of  a  waiting  Church  in  her 
need  of  men  who  are  called  and 
sent  of  God.  Prophets  there  have 
always  been,  Prophets  there  must 
always    be,    but    few   generations 


64 


^er  Ptopl)et0 


have  realized  their  necessity  as  the 
present. 

Bishop  Brent  asserts,  "Mankind 
has  always  been  listening  for  the 
voice  of  God.  Never  yet  has  a 
Prophet  announced  his  errand  as 
being  God's  spokesman  without 
creating  excitement  and  attracting 
a  following.  The  crowd  may 
abandon  him  if  they  mistake  his 
message,  or  crucify  him  if  they 
hate  it;  but  their  violence  only 
bears  new  witness  to  the  impor- 
tance attached  to  the  question  by 
the  people.  And  it  is  also  some- 
thing to  reflect  upon  that  Prophets 
are  not  put  to  death  on  the  score 
that  they  are  Prophets,  but  that 
they  are  false  Prophets,  pretending 
65 


Cfie  Cfiutcfi  ann 


to  be  messengers  from  God  when 
they  know  they  are  not." 

The  true  ambassador  of  God  will 
never  turn  aside  from  his  calling 
that  he  may  attract  a  multitude  by 
the  discussion  of  strange  and  triv- 
ial themes,  or  the  promulgation  of 
theories  more  speculative  than 
valuable.  The  reformer  has  no  in- 
clination to  entertain.  It  is  not  his 
ambition  to  draw  men  to  himself, 
save  only  that  he  may  by  so  doing 
attract  them  to  Christ.  His  sense 
of  responsibility  as  a  messenger 
will  cause  him  to  be  ever  inquiring 
the  will  of  God,  so  that  he  may  be 
able  to  speak  with  an  authority 
born  of  Heaven.     The  reality  of 

the  messenger  will  give  reality  to 
66 


f^tt  Propljew 


the  message.  When  he  refers  to 
common  experiences,  which  he 
must,  it  will  be  to  transmute  them 
and  give  them  a  new  and  sublime 
significance. 

"The  heart  of  man  is  not  bad,'* 
declares  Jacob  A.  Riis,  ''it  is  good, 
for  God  is  in  it,  despite  all  that 
tries  to  crowd  Him  out.  And  it 
isn't  eloquence  that  appeals  to  it, 
but  the  touch  that  tells  the  hearer 
that  the  preacher  has  seen  the 
things  to  which  he  bears  witness, 
that  he  knows  God  and  His  love.'* 


67 


Cfie  Cfiutcfi  atiD 


MEN  WHO  ARE  NOT 
AFRAID. 

God  wants  men  who  are  not 
afraid,  who  have  convictions  that 
grip  their  souls  so  that  they  dare 
to  speak  whether  others  will  heed 
their  messages  or  not. 

Heroes  are  made  not  by  yield- 
ing to  impulse,  but  by  following 
the  behests  of  duty.  The  brave 
man  does  not  will  to  meet  danger ; 
he  is  often  oblivious  of  its  ex- 
istence; he  wills  only  to  do  right 
as  he  sees  the  right,  whether  his 
procedure  is  perilous  or  not.    Such 

a  one  was  John  Knox,  who,  as  Car- 
68 


l^et  Prop6et0 


lyle  tells  us,  ''had  no  particular 
consciousness  of  his  courage,  but 
rather  a  readiness  in  all  simplicity 
to  do  and  dare  whatsoever  is  com- 
manded by  the  inward  voice  of  na- 
tive manhood." 

There  is  a  so-called  fearlessness 
that  is  nothing  more  than  a  display 
of  ill  temper  or  low  ambition,  and 
is,  therefore,  a  sign  of  weakness. 
Under  the  protection  of  the  pulpit, 
men  will  on  occasions  seek  to  jus- 
tify conduct  or  answer  criticism  by 
a  harshness  of  speech  that  shows 
that  they  have  not  learned  the  art 
of  self-control.  It  may  be  that 
they  satisfy  their  disturbed  feel- 
ings by  calling  resentment  "right- 
eous indignation"  or  "courage  of 
69 


Cfte  Cftutcft  anP 

conviction,"  but  the  character  of 
a  wrong  procedure  cannot  be 
changed  by  giving  it  a  good  name. 
In  the  same  way,  men  will  some- 
times seek  for  distinction  by  sensa- 
tional pulpit  audacity  that  the  un- 
thinking multitude  mistakes  for 
moral  courage;  or  they  will  con- 
demn faults  of  which  their  hearers 
are  not  guilty,  and  over  which  they 
have  no  control.  Pride  and  pas- 
sion often  take  possession  of  the 
mind,  and  all  men,  especially  those 
who  are  before  the  public,  should 
be  careful  lest  they  mistake  weak- 
ness for  strength,  bravado  for 
bravery,  audacity  for  boldness,  and 
self-assertion  for  self-mastery. 

The  most  stubborn  enemy  that 
70 


f^tt  ptopfiew 


any  man  can  meet  is  his  own  errant 
nature.  He,  who  can  bring  his  in- 
nermost being  before  the  judgment 
seat  of  conscience  without  flinch- 
ing and  without  compromise,  pos- 
sesses the  elements  of  true  hero- 
ism. 

Every  Prophet  of  God  is  by  vir- 
tue of  his  calling  a  possible  martyr 
and  must  therefore  be  brave  and 
strong.  No  earthly  casuist  can 
shape  his  course,  no  seductive 
pleasure  can  turn  his  will,  no  ma- 
terial advantage  can  blind  his 
vision.  He  is  forbidden  to  turn  the 
stones  into  bread,  or  leave  the  tem- 
ple heights  for  the  plaudits  of  the 
crowd  below,  or  accept  the  king- 
doms of  the  world  at  the  price  of 
71 


^bt  €f)utc6  anD 


humiliation.  He  sees  only  the  goal 
of  duty  done,  he  hears  only  the 
voice  of  God  within.  In  the 
strength  of  Him  who  was  Himself 
a  martyr  for  the  sins  of  the  peo- 
ple, he  presses  forward  upheld  by 
a  Divine  presence,  to  fulfil  his  holy 
vocation.  Having  learned  to  say 
with  Paul,  '1  hold  not  my  life  of 
any  account  as  dear  unto  myself, 
so  that  I  may  accomplish  my 
course,  and  the  ministry  which  I 
received  from  the  Lord  Jesus,  to 
testify  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of 
God,"  he  is  enabled  to  add  with 
confidence,  "I  can  do  all  things  in 
Him  that  strengtheneth  me." 
The  priest  may  abide  at  the  altar 

in  adoring  reverence,  the  pastor 
72 


l^et  propfiet^ 


may  minister  to  his  fellow  men  in 
deeds  of  helpfulness  and  words  of 
hope,  the  teacher  may  repeat  his 
doctrines  to  waiting  congregations ; 
and,  as  each  performs  his  minis- 
try, the  Church  calls  with  increas- 
ing emphasis  for  men  who  have 
heard  God  speak  to  them  and  can 
therefore  be  His  fearless  mes- 
sengers. 


73 


Cfte  Cl)utc|)  anO 


MEN  WHO  HAVE  HEART 
POWER. 

The  necessity  of  thorough  men- 
tal training  for  the  Gospel  ministry 
can  hardly  be  overestimated.  In- 
creased general  intelligence  re- 
quires a  greater  degree  of  scholar- 
ship than  has  ever  been  known  be- 
fore. While  the  Church  cannot 
lessen  her  demand  for  an  educated 
ministry,  she  is  realizing  more  and 
more  that  mere  scholarship  will 
not  suffice  to  meet  the  necessities 
of  the  age;  that  there  is  a  universal 
craving  for  sympathetic  friendli- 
ness on  the  part  of  the  people  that 
74 


^er  propl)et0 


grows  stronger  year  by  year  as  the 
complexities  of  civilized  life  in- 
crease. Everywhere  one  may  hear 
the  cry  for  a  creed  that  may  be  re- 
duced to  the  simple  terms,  ''The 
Fatherhood  of  God  and  the  broth- 
erhood of  man,"  yet  the  multitudes 
who  call  for  such  a  statement  of 
belief  as  sufficient  for  their  needs 
are  not  satisfied  with  its  mere  in- 
tellectual acceptance.  They  de- 
mand that  it  should  be  made  real 
and  vital  in  daily  life;  hence  the 
universal  demand  for  practical 
preaching,  which  is  nothing  more 
than  the  voice  of  the  people  asking 
for  messages  of  Divine  sympathy 
and  help. 

A  high  order  of  church  music, 
75 


Cfte  Cftuttj)  anB 


profound  logic  in  the  pulpit,  or  a 
brilliant  display  of  oratory  from 
the  platform,  may  please  the  taste 
and  gratify  the  sensibilities  of 
many,  but  experience  has  taught 
us  that  the  Apostle  was  right  when 
he  declared  that,  the  tongue  of  men 
or  even  of  angels,  and  the  gifts  of 
prophecy  and  understanding  of 
mysteries,  would  not  suffice  to  sat- 
isfy the  real  needs  of  the  soul  with- 
out love. 

There  is  an  old  legend  that  once 
a  Hindu  prince  was  stricken  with 
blindness.  All  the  skilled  physi- 
cians and  wise  men  of  the  realm 
were  called  to  the  palace  to  give 
their  advice  as  to  the  way  by  which 
he  might  regain  his  sight.  No  ex- 
76 


^er  ptopijew 


pense  was  spared,  no  undertaking 
was  considered  too  difficult  that  of- 
fered any  hope ;  yet  it  was  in  vain, 
and  the  youth  Hved  on  shrouded 
in  darkness  amid  the  glittering 
grandeurs  of  his  station.  One  day, 
a  holy  hermit  presented  himself 
before  the  king  and  offered  to 
bring  back  the  boy's  vision  on  the 
one  condition  that  the  subjects  of 

the  realm  should  present  them- 
selves before  the  royal  residence. 

So  the  order  was  sent  forth,  and 
there  came  a  great  multitude  from 
every  quarter  of  the  land,  glad  to 
do  their  sovereign's  will  and  help 
their  lord,  the  prince.  Then  the 
hermit  rose  and  addressed  the  peo- 
ple. In  words  of  deepest  pity  he 
77 


Clje  Cftutcft  and 


spoke  of  the  sufferings  of  men,  and 
with  a  pathos  that  was  born  of  fel- 
low feeling  he  told  them  of  the 
heavy  burdens  that  men  were  com- 
pelled to  bear,  and  the  pains  and 
sorrows  that  they  endured.  As  he 
proceeded,  the  hearts  of  those  who 
listened  were  moved  with  compas- 
sion, and  tears  coursed  down  their 
cheeks.  Heart  had  touched  heart, 
sympathy  had  engendered  sym- 
pathy. Seeing  that  the  people  had 
been  stirred  with  a  feeling  of  com- 
passion, the  hermit  stepped  down 
from  his  place  of  speaking,  and, 
putting  forth  his  hand,  gathered 
the  tears  from  the  cheeks  of  some 
who  had  wept  and  with  them 
touched  the  eyes  of  the  prince,  who 
78 


^er  Ipropftew 


saw      again.        Sympathy      had 
wrought  a  miracle. 

Men,  who  are  broken  in  heart, 
seek  those  whose  hearts  are  broken 
for  others ;  men,  who  are  burdened, 
go  to  those  who  themselves  are 
burdened  in  soul  for  their  fellow 
men. 

"It  is  the  secret  sympathy, 
The  silver  link,  the  silken  tie, 
Which  heart  to  heart,  and  mind  to  mind, 
In  body  and  in  soul  can  bind." 

There  are  preachers  who  hold 
our  attention  by  the  magic  of  their 
eloquence ;  there  are  preachers  who 
charm  us  with  their  use  of  lan- 
guage; there  are  preachers  who 
bring  tears  to  our  eyes  with  their 
tenderness  of  expression ;  there  are 
79 


Cfte  C!)Utc!)  anD 


preachers  who  stir  our  minds  with 
their  pleadings;  there  are  preach- 
ers who  cause  us  to  cHnch  our  fists 
with  their  denunciation;  but  the 
preachers  who  move  our  wills  and 
consciences  to  do  and  dare  for 
Christ  are  men  who,  through  their 
power  of  heart,  take  hold  of  our 
lives  and  grip  us  with  their  di- 
vinely wrought  personalities.  We 
cannot  always  tell  why,  but  we 
know  that  listening  to  such  men  we 
reaHze  our  likeness  to  God  and  we 
feel  a  great  responsibility  resting 
on  our  souls. 


go 


©et  Prop|)et0 


MEN  WHO  KNOW  THE  LIV- 
ING CHRIST. 

It  is  a  great  privilege  for  any 
man  to  realize  that  he  has  been  Di- 
vinely appointed  to  stand  before  his 
fellow  men  and  deliver  a  definite 
message.  If,  in  addition  to  that 
sense  of  ambassadorship,  he  pos- 
sesses a  profound  conviction  that 
He,  by  whom  he  has  been  ap- 
pointed, is  present  with  him  as  he 
speaks,  he  will  deliver  his  message 
in  holy  confidence  and  conviction 
of  spiritual  strength.  There  have 
been  men  who  have  done  this  very 

thing.    Done  it,  not  merely  because 
8i 


Cfte  Cfturcf)  and 


they  possessed  an  unwonted  degree 
of  natural  ability,  or  power  of  feel-' 
ing  and  imagination,  but  because 
they  were  men  of  faith  and  entered 
into  faith's  experience.  ^ 

When  the  rulers  and  elders  of 
the  Jews  sought  to  intimidate  Peter 
and  John  by  demanding  an  ex- 
planation of  the  secret  of  their 
miraculous  power,  the  Apostles, 
with  a  courage  born  of  Heaven,  re- 
plied that  it  was  by  means  of  the 
living  Christ  whom  they,  their 
judges,  had  slain.  On  perceiving 
the  boldness  of  the  two  men  and 
realizing  that  they  were  unlearned 
and  ignorant,  ''they  marveled;  and 
they  took  knowledge  of  them,  that 

they  had  been  with  Jesus." 
82 


I^tt  propf)et0 


"The  present  days  are  Christ's 
days  and  we  are  his  contempora- 
ries," said  the  Archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury. His  contemporaries  to 
reahze  His  nearness  and  to  be  in- 
spired by  His  presence.  "It  is  no 
longer  I  that  Hve,"  cried  Paul  in 
the  fullness  of  faith,  "but  Christ 
that  liveth  in  me." 

In  all  the  stress  and  din  of  the 
age,  in  all  the  struggle  for  property 
and  privilege,  in  all  the  craving  for 
enlightenment  and  progress,  there 
is  a  voice  that  sounds  clear  and 
loud  above  the  tumult  and  confu- 
sion of  conflicting  forces  that  are 
working  for  a  newer  and  better 
civilization.  Never  in  the  history 
of  man  has  that  voice  suffered 
83 


Cfte  Cfiutcl)  and 


itself  to  be  silenced.  It  has  ever 
been  heard  amid  the  discussions  of 
statesmen,  the  clamoring  of  the  re- 
ligious sects,  the  warring  of  en- 
thusiasts, and  the  rush  and  hurry 
of  men  struggling  for  supremacy 
in  church  and  state,  and  never  has 
it  been  heard  more  clearly  than  to- 
day, saying,  to  every  man,  "Fol- 
low me !  I  am  the  way,  the  truth, 
and  the  life." 

"Once  it  was  known  that  the 
Highest  did  of  a  surety  dwell  in 
this  nation,"  said  Thomas  Carlyle 
in  writing  of  England,  "leading,  by 
steep  and  flaming  paths,  by  hero- 
ism, pieties  and  noble  acts  and 
thoughts,  this  nation  heavenward, 

if  it  would  and  dared.    Known  or 
84 


f^tt  Propftew 


not,  this  (or  else  the  terrible  in- 
verse  of  this)  is  forever  the  fact!'* 

Gradually,  the  Christian  Church 
is  coming  to  realize  clearly  the 
great  truth  that  the  resurrection 
of  Jesus  meant  more  than  a  confir- 
mation of  His  deity;  that  it  meant 
also  His  continued  life  among  men 
and  His  continued  interest  in  their 
affairs. 

By  His  spirit  He  stands  to-day 
in  our  boards  of  trade,  He  works 
with  mechanics  in  shops  and  mills, 
He  studies  with  the  young  in 
schools  and  colleges.  He  is  an  ad- 
viser of  tradesmen  in  stores  and 
markets.  He  comforts  and  helps 
parents  and  children  in  the  home, 
and  He  directs  and  inspires  His 
85 


Cfte  Cbutc!)  ana 


ministers  in  the  pulpits,  that  they 
may  dehver  real  messages  from  a 
real  God.  He  is  the  solution  of  all 
our  social  difficulties,  the  unerring 
guide  in  all  the  affairs  of  life. 

"Christ  is  walking  through  our  streets, 
Looking  in  each  face  He  meets, 

Tenderly. 
Not  only  in  the  church  He  stands, 
Where     suppHants     kneel     with     folded 

hands, 
Not  only  in  the  closet  where 
He  lifts  the  load  of  human  care, 
But  in  the  busy  haunts  of  life, 
And  in  the  midst  of  toil  and  strife, 
Walks  He  with  His  bleeding  feet, 
Walks  He  where  the  people  meet, 
But  they  scorn  Him,  pass  Him  by. 
And  in  their  hearts  they  madly  cry, 
Crucify." 

86 


^er  ptopljcw 


The  Church  has  long  dwelt  on 
the  awful  sacrifice  of  Calvary;  she 
could  not  give  it  too  important  a 
place  in  her  teaching.     The  cruci- 
fixion of  Christ  stands  alone  the 
greatest    and    most    far-reaching- 
event  of  history.    But  in  these  lat- 
ter days  she  is  coming  to  realize 
as  never  before  that  Calvary  was 
followed  by  Olivet;  that  Jesus  not 
only  wore  a  crown  of  thorns,  but 
that  He  now   wears  a  crown  of 
glory    and    power;    that    walking 
among  men  He  is  ever  calling  them 
to    acknowledge    His    leadership, 
saying  as  He  said  of  old,  "I  am  the 
light  of  the  world;  he  that  follow- 
eth  Me  shall  not  walk  in  darkness, 
but  shall  have  the  light  of  life.'' 
87 


Cfte  Cftutcfi  anO 


Face  to  face  with  a  complex 
civilization,  the  Church  is  called  to 
prove  her  teaching  and  right  to 
consideration  in  the  affairs  of  men. 
There  is  no  avoidance  of  the  issue, 
there  can  be  no  compromise.  She 
must  either  surrender  her  claim  or 
take  the  initiative  and  guide  the 
waiting  multitudes  into  the  light. 
It  is  no  wonder,  therefore,  that  she 
demands  of  her  leaders  that  they 
should  be  true  messengers  of  a  liv- 
ing Christ,  whose  presence  they 
realize  and  of  whose  power  they 
partake. 


88 


f^tt  Ptop6et0 


MEN  WHO  ARE  SWAYED  BY 

ONE  AMBITION. 

The  ambition  to  magnify  Jesus 
Christ  and  His  kingdom  is  an  over- 
mastering ambition  and  inspires 
men  with  spiritual  force.  A  holy 
passion  possesses  those  who  are 
under  its  power ;  they  become  eager 
to  bring  their  fellow  men  to  a 
knowledge  of  God.  Knowing  that 
subservience  to  the  will  of  Christ 
would  create  a  higher  standard  of 
truth  and  honesty  in  business,  a 
stronger  bond  of  sympathy  and 
consideration    in    society,    and    a 

greater  degree  of  love  and  helpful- 
89 


Cfte  Cburc!)  ana 


ness  in  the  world  of  employment 
and  labor,  they  become  enthusiasts 
for  the  Son  of  God.  Serving  the 
world  under  the  sway  of  their  am- 
bition, they  enter  into  the  faith  and 
experience  of  the  Apostle,  and  cry 
with  him,  "Far  be  it  from  me  to 
glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ'' — "Christ  the  power 
of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God." 

"Every  great  and  commanding 
movement  in  the  annals  of  the 
world  is  a  triumph  of  some  enthu- 
siast," said  Emerson.  "Nothing 
great  was  ever  achieved  without 
enthusiasm,"  and  when  it  is  kin- 
dled by  love  for,  and  confidence  in 
the  Son  of  God,  men  come  under 

its  influence  and  pause  to  listen  and 
90 


ij)er  Propi)et0 


consider  the  message  that  is  being 
spoken. 

The  Church  knows  that  to  ful- 
fil her  mission  she  must  have  lead- 
ers who  are  moved  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  and  who  by  dauntless  zeal  and 
heroism  are  able  to  bring  men  to 
realize  the  importance  of  consider- 
ing the  things  that  are  essential. 

'Why  is  it  that  Mr.  Wesley  is 
able  to  set  men  on  fire  with  his 
w^ords  ?"  one  asked  of  another  who 
knew  the  great  preacher.  "It  is 
because  he  is  on  fire  himself,"  was 
the  answer. 

There  is  but  one  passion  that  is 

worthy  of  commanding  possession 

in  the  life  of  God's  Prophets.     It 

is  a  passion  to  magnify  Christ  and 

91 


Cfte  Cfturcl)  anD 


extend  His  sway.  Such  a  passion 
is  purer  and  more  comprehensive 
than  all  others,  for  it  is  stirred  by 
loyalty  to  God  and  love  for  man. 
The  one  thing  that  will  keep  the 
world  from  drifting  into  material- 
ism and  blindness  of  heart  is  not 
cold  theology,  for  ''no  man  ever  be- 
came a  Christian  simply  by  accept- 
ing the  doctrines  of  the  Christian 
religion,"  nor  by  lauding  tinseled 
ecclesiasticism,  but  enthusiasm  for 
Jesus  Christ  under  the  leadership 
of  men  who  speak  for  God,  with 
God,  and  by  the  power  of  God. 

In  the  stress  and  struggle  of 
present-day  life,  the  Church  is 
coming  to  a  strong  sense  of  her 

need  of  leaders  who  have  no  time 
92 


^et  pcopftew 


to  wrangle  over  creeds  or  inclina-^ 
tion  to  exploit  trivial  theories,  but 
who  realize  their  calling  as  ambas- 
sadors of  Heaven  to  beseech  men 
on  behalf  of  Christ  to  be  reconciled 
to  God. 

In  the  dim  past  a  seer  arose 
among  the  people.  With  shaded 
eyes  he  peered  into  the  future  and 
spoke  of  a  day  when  sons  and 
daughters  of  men  would  prophesy, 
when  old  men  would  dream 
dreams,  and  young  men  would  see 
visions.  That  day  came  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost.  It  is  coming  again 
in  these  opening  years  of  the  cen- 
tury; already  there  is  rising  a 
Church  in  the  world,  the  members 
of  which  are  discovering  greater 
93 


Cfte  CfturcJ)  anli 


possibilities  of  service  than  was 
ever  conceived  in  the  minds  of  their 
fathers. 

'  With  a  profound  faith  and  con- 
fident expectation  of  the  triumph 
of  the  divine  kingdom,  Christians 
may  look  forward  to  the  work  of 
the  Church  with  hope  and  joy,  and 
live  in  the  expectation  of  new 
glories  and  new  victories. 


TH^   %^D. 


94 


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